The Value of Visibility

Live at W139

24-09-2016

The infrastructure for visual arts, such as project spaces, art(ist-run) initiatives, commercial galleries, art centres and museums, makes art public. These various institutions make the artwork and artist visible, both literally and figuratively. All cultural institutions more or less have their own reasons for this public act. Since the emergence of this infrastructure various strategies have been developed of 'making things visible', which partly determine the typology of every institution.

Instead of wanting to make a particular discourse or artist's practice visible in order to contribute to a cultural and societal debate, being (quantitatively) visible has increasingly become a prerequisite for institutions if they want to be taken seriously by audiences and politicians. More and more a well-considered substantive process is making way for ceaseless efforts to constantly be on everyone's radar in order to secure to some extent not only an organisation's financial basis, but also its autonomy with regard to content.

A number of people in the field, both artists and representatives of different institutional models, will address the role and consequences of this visibility. Not only the negative consequences will be discussed, but also the space that can be created when artists or organisations decide not to 'subject' to guiding strategies concerning visibility. How do you actively shape your own future and what are interesting visions on the future?

We produce live radio at art institutes and broadcast talks, interviews, readings, reviews, magazines and transmissions of audible works of art. Interested in a collaboration? Send us an e-mail. We have received support by the Creative Industries Fund NL.